Amelia in Wonderland
by stellaCAS
Summary: Amelia and her journey.
1. Chapter 1

"From the results shown here, it would be clear that there is a positive correlation from the two variables. Unfortunately there are many limitations to the experiment, these include..."

I stopped typing, and paused to take a sip from the 4th milk latte this night. I was lucky that Starbucks was around the street. What were the limitations? Ah yes, limited equipment, limited chemicals - and then I suddenly became immersed to my lecturer, a Dr. Bruce, a man whose biggest feature was his nose with short sandy hair, talking about the relationship between ethyl lead and crime rates. Fascinating.. Considering it was only produced in England and banned to sell in the chemical in England, there was not much chance that I would be able to have the chance to experiment with that chemical.

I sighed. According to the clock on my table it was 3am in the morning and I needed to give in my essay in 29 hours. Drat!

And I needed to write and include 3 more sections, the conclusion, a bibliography, and appendices. I was sure that I would somehow finish, the sad thing was that I had left it too late. My level of procrastinating had somehow increased in the past few months, and I had avoided writing my thesis until the last minute. My excuse is that I had read in the news that leaving your work would make you more desperate to finish, and so you would find more mistakes in your piece of work then spending a long period of time writing it.

I scrolled up to the title page and started to take a break, an educational break where I would then correct any thing that was wrong.

"Hey Amelia, you finished with your thesis?" My roommate, Iris asked. She was scoffing down a slice of pizza, her eyes bright, even though it was so early.

"9000 words in, and I still need to include more on the limitations of the experiment would be. It will be easy, just ranting on how I should have permission from the school to use high-tech equipment."

Iris smiled blearily, the question had obviously been a starter, where she would then be talking about something that was lately irritating her. However I was not in the mood to talk to her, I needed to quickly finish my work. The signs were clear:

1. The takeaway pizza: the symbol of a university student's laziness to buy nutritious food.

2. The slight wrinkle on her forehead, that was caused by stress

3. The casual question about my well being

4. And maybe that she was still awake, and should be sleeping in her comfortable, relaxing bed.

I was right.

"I'm glad you are alright. My father says that the head of the archaeology department has given me the opportunity to present my findings on the exhibition I went last summer to the first years. As if I hadn't had enough things to do - it is a honour though - but he only told me yesterday, but I have to present it next week!"

She dramatically rolled her eyes and paused, waiting for my reaction.

"Im sure you'll do alright. If the head thinks that your findings are interesting and - informative - then I'm sure you will do alright." I said as I tried not to yawn.

"Thanks Amelia." She smiled modestly, she knew she had to work hard to prove herself as her father, the chancellor, of the university was there. She was one of the best students in archaeology though, and made sure that it was her talent, not her connections that made her successful. "Do you want a slice of pizza? You'll help out and listen to my presentation?"

I nodded, grabbed a slice of pizza and turned my attention to the screen again - back on those statistics.

"Cool. Good luck with your work."

I groaned inwardly. I could see that after Iris' interruption, i was getting practically nowhere. I had mostly edited everything - reconstructing the grammar, and making it more elegant…I should have done more, but the threat to sleep was too big. For the past hour, I couldn't even put my eyes open! I must have been really sleepy, as even objects that usually should be small was huge. Loose change (£3.05) never looked as large as saucers right? And the clock's long arms were pointing at 8 looked like arrows. I rubbed my right arms, and everything stayed the same.

Weird. And I didn't even seem to care. It must all be a daydream, I decided.

And then - an explicit urge to sleep came over me - and then I closed my eyes.


	2. Dream

Nothing seemed to be bound to the ground. A little clock with elaborate arms flew right across me, I didn't even have time to check the time, as it flew right into a tree. It was broken, just like that.

I tried to move, but realised that I was upside down, and I was strangely comfortable with this. No blood was rushing to my face so I didn't feel dizzy, and it was very peaceful. How had I ended in this place? My mind was a haze then; I couldn't seem to remember anything, only the basic details of my life.

_My name is Amelia Fang. I am 19 years old. I am a second year student studying Biochemistry at university. I live in a flat in Cambridge with my friend Iris. I have one sister called Delia, and a step-brother named Steven. _

_I am stuck somewhere in the woods probably filled with lots of scary animals. _

I needed to get out of the woods.. To try and find someone that would provide assistance so I could get back home. I would need to walk. I struggled to get back to the ground, waving my arms wildly to try and land on my feet. I tried to swim, front crawl even kicking my legs, much faster and stronger kicks than I was capable during the swimming lessons I had when I was a child.

I had to face the facts: I couldn't move an inch.

This place was completely out of reason. Had the world gone completely mad? A sudden fury rose in me: every effort spent was no use. I would never get back home at this rate. Huge, fat tears spurted out, and I had difficulty controlling my breathing. Why was it me? What had happened that had transported me from a flat in England to this mossy woodland?

Maybe there was a logical explanation for this: somehow I was transferred to another planet, and in this planet a special mechanism was needed to move but humans didn't have this. But I was part of this project where aliens had watched over me - like the Truman show. Finally, after 19 years of observation watching me from my birth to now, I was transferred as I was deemed a suitable person for... Whatever aims that aliens thought. They perhaps should be welcoming me soon, so I needed to stop crying immediately. I tried to hold my breath for 10 seconds, trying to stop my heavy crying. Stop. Stop. I needed to calm down, and find a solution. I was the only person that could save myself, and my tears stopped.

Aliens. Yeah right they would want me to enter into their land. I was just an ordinary person.

To my left there was a woodland clearing; to my right there was a huge castle with swirling turrets covered with sparkling red hearts. I stood, wondering where I would go. It was obvious that it would be more reasonable to go the castle, where there was probably people that would be honour to help me. They would have large hearts, and would be sympathetic, kind, and offer me jammy biscuits with cream in the centre.

Just as I was about to scream help; a big cat with sharp-looking claws suddenly appeared.

"Hello, dear."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Can cats talk? Oh well. Rationality definitely did not exist in this place.

"Hello, sir. I was wondering whether you could point me to the direction of my home in Cambridge. And maybe in the direction of a taxi; I can't well - really walk." I waved my arms slightly, imitating that I couldn't really move very quickly.  
"Home? Why Wonderland is your home!" The cat grinned - wait - GRINNED?  
"Where is Wonderland? It's not my home, Cambridge is my home. And why are you grinning? Cats don't smile!"  
"A Cheshire Cat does actually. And Wonderland is for the mad," the cat then said matter-of-factly, "So you are mad too. Bonkers actually."  
My jaw dropped. This - Cheshire Cat - had dropped a statement that I was crazy. I was in this "Wonderland", and he obviously knew more about this place than I did, so he was mad, not me.

I'm not bonkers," I retorted, "I have achieved a lot, I'm actually attending university, and I'm in my 3rd year."  
His grin vanished, a booming voice loomed over. "Didn't you know? Everybody around here are mad!"  
He then continued: "You have already noticed that I'm mad too. So why not you?"


	3. Chapter 3

Here I was, stuck in a mysterious place. It must be a dream. With little I pinched myself, willing myself to be awoken. However, this was not the case. Somehow, (and this may sound a little cheesy) the moments when you think this must be a dream, it always is reality. That is why I recoiled from my faint pinch.

Unless I was suffering from hallucinations. Perhaps from the coffee. But I doubt it as from previous experience, this had not happened. And if it would be a dream, wasn't there some mechanism that could make oneself awake when you were in a dream state? I pinched myself harder on my arm; there must be some way that I could wake up from this nightmare.

Nothing.

Perhaps I needed to go with the flow like the cat said. If I was considered crazy from my wanting to get away from here, then maybe I should relax a little and go with the flow. Maybe Wonderland would be a good place to buy estate after all. Lush green woodlands, castles, floating Cheshire cats that could grin.. coupled with the excellent name of this place then it would be a real hit.

A group of people was coming towards with me. Waving, and shouting from 100m away.

Time to yell out for help.

"Help! Could someone help please! Here!" I waved my hands out. However, these people were a group of cards. Cards of hearts that had little red feet that were bounding towards me. "Stop human! Cease to move little human! Do not attempt to escape from our trap!"

Naturally, I tried to escape. My muscles were willing myself to move, and then a sense of hopelessness came from me. It was no point in trying to escape. The only thing I should do was to relax, close my eyes and wait for my impending arrest.

"Trespasser in the gardens! I think it is a human!" one of the guards yelled out in a high-pitched voice. "Trespasser in the royal gardens. Someone please attack and inject it before it tries to struggle and run."

Hands were then all grabbed all around me as if I could move; a hand quickly turned away so that my palm was facing towards them and injected me with an orange liquid.

"Suspect safely aborted. We shall see you….."

A kaleidoscope of vibrant reds with a harsh white washed over me, and I struggled to keep my eyes open. For one second, I fleetingly thought that I would manage to keep my eyes open. However, I caved in and my last thought to myself was how I was going to get out…


End file.
